Malaysia men's national field hockey team

Malaysia men's national field hockey team
The Malaysia men's national field hockey team (nicknamed Speedy Tigers) represents Malaysia in international field hockey competitions. As of August 2023, the team is ranked 9th in the world, and 2nd in Asia, by the International Hockey Federation. The governing body for the sports is the Malaysian Hockey Confederation.
History
Hockey has a long-standing history in Malaysia, with the first formal match taking place in Kuala Lumpur on November 30, 1898, between Harris' XI and Whitley's XI, just 12 years after the first regulated game was played in England in 1886. Malaysia's first international game occurred in 1932 against the Indian Olympic squad, who had recently clinched Olympic gold. Predictably, the visitors emerged victorious with a 7-0 scoreline. Malaysia formed a national hockey body in 1947, and in 1956, they represented Malaya (as it was then known) at the Melbourne Olympics, finishing ninth. Their most notable Olympic performance to date was at the 1972 Games, where they secured eighth place and recorded victories against Spain and Argentina.
Malaysia has qualified for the Hockey World Cup on seven occasions, including the most recent edition. Their best finish to date was in 1975 when they hosted the tournament and achieved a remarkable fourth-place finish, which included a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands.
In recent years, the Malaysian national hockey team has faced challenges in maintaining their past success. They have struggled to replicate their previous achievements at major international tournaments. However, the team has remained competitive in the Asian region.
The crown jewel of Malaysian hockey is the annual Sultan Azlan Shah tournament, held in Kuala Lumpur. Named after the ninth King of Malaysia, Sultan Azlan Shah, a devoted hockey enthusiast, this invitation-only event has been a key highlight since 1983, becoming an annual affair in 2003. In 2002, Malaysia won their first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after defeating South Korea 3-2.
Kuala Lumpur had the honor of hosting the first Commonwealth Games to include hockey as a sport in 1998. Malaysia's national team showcased their talent by securing a silver medal, narrowly losing 4-0 to Australia in the final. Another significant achievement was Malaysia's hosting of the 2002 World Cup, which featured 16 nations, making it the only single World Cup to adopt this format. This edition also permitted squads of 18 players instead of the usual 16, accommodating the hot and humid conditions.
Malaysia has also played host to the Junior World Cup three times, with the most recent occurrence in 2009. Although Malaysia has achieved fourth place on four occasions, they continue to strive for further success in this prestigious tournament.
The Malaysian national hockey team continues to strive for success and aims to regain its past glory in international field hockey. The team's development and performance are supported by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) and its efforts to promote the sport at various levels, including grassroots development and talent identification programs.
Competition history
''A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Malaysia and best results"
Summer Olympics
World Cup
Asian Games
Asia Cup
Asian Champions Trophy
Commonwealth Games
World League
Nations Cup
Champions Trophy
Champions Challenge
Champions Challenge II
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Hockey Asean Cup
Southeast Asian Games
Players
Current squad
The following 18 players were named on 29 December 2022 for the 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, India from 13 to 29 January 2023.
Head coach: Arul Selvaraj
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the national team in the last 12 months.
Records
Notable former players
Azlan Misron
Baljit Singh Charun
Chairil Anwar
Chua Boon Huat
Gary Vernon Fidelis
Harnahal Singh
Zam Ariffin Ali Piah
Ismail Bakri Mohd Noor
Abdul Ranni Mohd Noor
Jiwa Mohan
Keevan Raj
Kevin Nunis
Kuhan Shanmuganathan
Logan Raj
Maninderjit Singh
Nizam Nordin
Mirnawan Nawawi
Mohamad Bin Abdul Hadi
Mohammad Zainal Bin Hussin
Mohd Saiyuti Bin Abd Samat
Nor Azlan Bakar
Nor Saiful Zaini
Peter van Huizen
Poon Fook Loke
Khairuddin Zainal
R. Yogeswaran
Rodhanizam Mat Radzi
Roslan Jamaluddin
Sarjit Singh
Shahrun Nabil
Stephen van Huizen
Tai Beng Hai
Wallace Tan
Mazran Ramli
Soon Mustafa Karim
Kevinder Singh
Coaches
See also
Malaysia women's national field hockey team
Malaysia men's national under-21 field hockey team
References
External links
FIH profile
Asian men's national field hockey teams
national team
Men's sport in Malaysia